Does anyone have any recommendations for a hotel at the airport for a morning flight?

There are several to choose from: the Sheraton is the closest as it is opposite the terminal. Others that are a shuttle ride away are Holiday Inn, NH hotel, Van der Valk, Thon and lots of others. They can get full so book in advance.

Be careful of what airport area hotel you book - my son recently booked a cheaper one and it was in the industrial zone with no close transport into Brussels and spotty shuttled to airport at night - he felt stranded at night - I'm sure upscale hotels will have reliable shuttles I would think.

What time is your flight? I stayed in Namur the night before my morning flight to JFK. It is about 65km away from the airport and was an easy drive. I preferred being in a cute hotel in a town instead of at the airport.

Or central station.
Trains every 20 min max to Airport -duration about 15 min.

First train 4 44 - arrival 5 01.

http://www.belgianrail.be/jp/sncb-nm...d=std&OK#focus

Or central station.
Trains every 20 min max to Airport -duration about 15 min.

First train 4 44 - arrival 5 01.

http://www.belgianrail.be/jp/sncb-nm...d=std&OK#focus

<<65km away from the airport and was an easy drive.>> I'd be careful suggesting this as the traffic on the Brussels ring road can be very bad indeed.

We usually stay at Golden Tulip if we have an early flight (park-sleep-fly package). Their shuttle goes 24/7. Some hotel shuttles start only at 6 am (Van der Valk for instance).

We will not have a car. We will be coming from Brugge/Bruges and I was thinking it would be best to be as close to the airport as possible at the end of the trip (tired,etc.) Although maybe somewhere close by train as suggested by pariswat. Hmm.Every time you think you've got it figured out, something changes. LOL

You don't actually have to stay at the airport or even in Brussels. There is direct train service from Antwerp and Leuven, for example, to the Brussels Airport station. You can check train schedules online - not sure how early you are leaving, but I think there are hourly trains. I took a train from Antwerp to BRU a few years ago for a 10:45am flight. (I didn't care for Antwerp that much - would probably stay in Leuven if I were going to do it again.)

For me, 10:45 is not an early flight! In that case you can take a hotel in the city or even in Leuven, Mechelen or Antwerp.
An early flight is somewhere between 5:45 and 7:00 ... Yuck, but it does happen sometimes.

Next week for me Myriam...
6 30 departure in Charleroi.
Good thing is there is no traffic jam on the roads since I take my car.

At the end of this month for me, too.
6:05 departure in BRU.
We'll stay at the Golden Tulip again with the park-sleep-fly arrangement. This means one hour extra sleep. ;-)

Living in Waterloo means I'm in BRU or CRL in about 45 min max (at that time).

But these are still ungodly hours...

Eastender, if you spend the day before close to Bxl Central, I recommend having dinner in typical belgian brasseries. The ones I like are :
- Chez Vincent
- la taverne du passage (in the galerie du roi or galerie de la rein)

Not the best food, but clearly typcial and non touristy (albeit in touristy area).

I recommend the 'Waterzooi de poulet' chez vincent .
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterzoo%C3%AF
and a filet américan at la taverne.
http://visitbrussels.be/bitc/BE_fr/c...t-americain.do

Okay, for an international flight, I'm guessing we have to be at the airport 2- 3 hours early. I think we will be ready at the end of the trip to get a good night's sleep and I don't want to worry about missing a train etc. Thank you for all the suggestions!

The Sheraton's website says that the train station is directly under them? So, if we stay there, will we get off at a Sheraton station or Brussels airport station?

Brussels station - Sheraton hasn't got its own station yet.
You go 2 floors up (I think it is 2 floors), you exit the airport, Sheraton is right in front.
5 minutes when you know the way. 6 if you have to look for it.

Meant Bxl Airport.

Alternatives to the Sheraton and Golden Tulip that are nearby: the Mercure and the Marriott both of which are within walking distance to the busline that goes to the airport (I can't remember if it is 12 or 21 or both).

pariswat: Merci or bedankt or thank you, depending on your linguistic leaning. ;-)

Welcome - de rien - graag gedaan
I'm a 'real' Belgian : I am frenchspeaking, knows to speak Flemish and with some notions of German (our third national language).